733 Naval Air Squadron
733 Naval Air Squadron (733 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active between 1944 and 1947 as a Fleet Requirement Unit, based mainly at RNAS Trincomalee (HMS Bambara), China Bay, Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
| 733 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1944–47[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role | Fleet Requirement Unit |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison/HQ | RN Air Section Minneriya RNAS Trincomalee |
| Motto(s) | Sursum rubes (Latin for 'Upwards into the clouds') |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | White, upon a pellet two beams of light in saltire white surmounted by an eagle valiant gold armed and langue's red (1944)[1] |
| Identification Markings | C8A+ & C9A+[2] |
History of 733 NAS
Fleet Requirement Unit (1944 - 1947)
733 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Requirement Unit. It moved from R.N. Air Section Minnerya, in lodger facilities at R.A.F. Station Minnerya, located in Hingurakgoda, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), on the 25 March 1944, to RNAS Trincomalee (HMS Bambara), located in China Bay in eastern Sri Lanka, bringing along a varied example of aircraft used by the Fleet Air Arm.
Initially using Walrus aircraft and later on Sea Otter aircraft, an Air Sea Rescue Flight was added around the beginning of 1946.[4]
The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1947 at RNAS Trincomalee.
Aircraft flown
733 Naval Air Squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:
- Fairey Albacore [4]
- Grumman Tarpon GR.I[5]
- Grumman Avenger Mk.II[5]
- Fairey Barracuda Mk II[6]
- Bristol Beaufighter Mark IIF[7]
- Bristol Beaufort Mk.I[8]
- Vought Corsair Mk IV
- Bolton Paul Defiant TT Mk I
- Beech Expeditor C.II
- Fairey Fulmar Mk.II
- North American Harvard IIB
- Miles Martinet TT.Mk I[9]
- de Havilland Mosquito B Mk 25[10]
- Stinson Reliant
- Supermarine Seafire III[11]
- Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV[12]
- Supermarine Sea Otter Mk I[13]
- Supermarine Sea Otter Mk II[13]
- Fairey Swordfish I[14]
- Fairey Swordfish II[14]
- de Havilland Tiger Moth
- Vultee Vengeance II[15]
- Supermarine Walrus[16]
- Grumman Wildcat Mk V[17]
Naval Air Stations
733 Naval Air Squadron operated from a couple of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, overseas:
- R. N. Air Section MINNERIYA (1 January 1944 - 25 March 1944)[4]
- Royal Naval Air Station TRINCOMALEE (25 March 1944 - 31 December 1947)
References
Citations
- Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 55.
- Wragg 2019, p. 120.
- Ballance 2016, p. 39.
- Thetford 1991, p. 221.
- Thetford 1991, p. 169.
- Thetford 1991, p. 412.
- Thetford 1991, p. 413.
- Thetford 1991, p. 442.
- Thetford 1991, p. 422.
- Thetford 1991, p. 335.
- Thetford 1991, p. 341.
- Thetford 1991, p. 329.
- Thetford 1991, p. 149.
- Thetford 1991, p. 472.
- Thetford 1991, p. 325.
- Thetford 1991, p. 215.
Bibliography
- Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2.
- Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7509 9303 6.